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“We are very curious as to Master McCloud’s whereabouts yesterday evening. Do you know, querida?”
He’d torn the ground from under me. He suspected Carden. Not only did Alcántara suspect him—I could tell by the look in those coal black eyes that he was after him, guns blazing.
But was this an investigation to discover if McCloud was guilty of murder, or was he also investigating whether he was guilty of being with me?
For all I knew, Alcántara had seen us talking last night, and this was a test to see if I’d lie for Carden. It was a stunt he’d pulled before. “Yes, actually,” I replied as calmly as I could. “We exchanged words in front of the dorm after dinner. ”
He put a finger under my chin, like he needed a better angle with which to peer into my traitorous eyes. “Are you certain?”
“Yes, sir,” I replied, trying to sound blasé. “I’m certain. In fact, Tracer Ronan was there as well. ” I cringed instantly. Why had I brought him into this?
Alcántara tilted his head as if to say he found all of this deeply fascinating. “What a compelling trio. Whatever did you discuss?”
“The importance of swimming,” I stammered.
“How peculiar. ”
Relief set in. We were on to a new topic. “Ronan—I mean, Tracer Ronan—will be my swim instructor again this term. ”
“I see. ” He nodded. “Do you know where Master McCloud went after your little tête-à-tête?”
Every muscle in my body seized. Which was worse—Alcántara suspecting that Carden and I were close enough for me to know his comings and goings, or that Carden might have something to do with Watcher Angel’s death?
“I…I don’t know where he went. ” And I didn’t. I didn’t know where he went, where he rested, how he spent his time. Carden had told me to keep my distance, and even if I wanted to defy him, I didn’t have the first clue as to how I’d find him.
“I cannot help but note that these unfortunate incidents have coincided with the arrival of McCloud,” Alcántara said, adopting a pose of elegant thoughtfulness. “I wonder if something happened to him in that dungeon. If our enemies poisoned his mind somehow. ”
“I couldn’t begin to say. ” My words hung, and Alcántara did nothing to fill the silence.
We stood frozen, locked there on the path, but footsteps coming from behind pulled both of us from the moment.
I looked over my shoulder. Who knew I’d be so glad to see my mysterious roommate?
“Hello. ” Mei was calm, neither overly formal, nor overly casual. You’d have thought the vampires were an everyday occurrence in Long Island.
“Hey. ” I edged from Alcántara to insert myself between them. I’d gathered I was supposed to protect Mei-Ling from outside forces, but at the moment, I wanted to protect her from this vampire the most. “You headed to dinner?”
Her eyes shifted from me to Alcántara and back again. Her expression remained flat, sizing us up like some young Chinese-American Terminator. “Yes. ”
“Cool. I’ll be right there. ” The perfect excuse to flee. “I saw on the board that it’s pasta night. A girl’s gotta get her carb on. Save me a seat. ”
Mei nodded and walked on.
“You must look after her,” Alcántara said to the back of my head.
“So I’ve gathered. ” Alcántara, out of everyone, saying I needed to look out for some girl? It was ludicrous. “But why?”
“Acari Mei has promise, and we’d like to nurture that promise. ”
“I see. ” My voice was calm, but my mind was racing. My suspicions had been correct—Alcántara had been the one behind her kidnapping.
“She has a great musical gift,” he went on, “but her extreme youth does not lend itself to the same physical adeptness as the older Acari. ”
I wanted to snark, so why’d you kidnap her if she’s only fifteen? But I only nodded. “I understand. ”
“We like to give every guest of the island a fair and equal shot. ”
Yeah, right. Seeing as they’d killed her boyfriend, threatened her family, and simply plucked her from some New York suburb to take her for their own, these vamps had a pretty weird concept of protection.
